Lunch review: Wicked-wich

Last Friday I was hungry and feeling cheap, so I decided to use a Groupon for Wicked-wich that I had purchased a while back. I've been putting it off for awhile because it's on the other side of Downtown from my office and the place always seems crazy packed.

Located on the 400 block of Sycamore, Wicked-wich is perfectly situated to take advantage of the mass of P&G lunchers and soon the mass of Great American Tower lunchers. It is, as the name would imply, a witch-themed sandwich place, which is one of the odder themes I can can think of for a restaurant. Clearly they are fans of puns.

Wicked-wich's claim to fame in the CBD lunch scene is that they make and slice all of their lunch meat in house. I don't know any other lunch place that does this downtown on the scale that WW does, so they clearly fit a niche. They also claim to make their soups and salad dressings in-house. WW offers breakfast, too, if you are so inclined. The menu lists omelettes, quiche, and other goodies.

WW is your typical sandwich place, ordering-wise. You walk in, get in the usually long line, place your order, pay, and they'll call your name when your food is done. There is a decent amount of space for dining in, but it was completely full when I went, plus about 80 degrees. I opted for take out.

I got up to the front of the line, placed an order the Southwestern Chicken with a side of curried egg salad (one side included with sandwiches). Just because I was feeling particularly gluttonous that day, I also got a bag of kettle chips. I paid and snapped a few pictures.

Hard at work

Odd witch-themed mural and dining space

Sandwich station

Five minutes later my name was called and I escaped the body heat-fest back to the office, sat down, unpacked my lunch and got to work on it.

As usual, my pictures don't do the food justice. The Southwestern Chicken, per the menu description, is "spice-rubbed chicken, roasted peppers and red onions, sharp cheddar, chipotle mayo ... (on a) butter toasted sourdough baguette". It was as good as it sounds. There was a lot, flavor and texture-wise, going on, but it never got ridiculous. The star of the show, as would be expected, was the meat. It was extremely flavorful and, since it was just sliced, juicy. This is real meat, not any of that reconstituted, sodium and whatnot pumped stuff you see on sale at the grocery store (and at Subway).

This sandwich was MESSY. Between the onions and peppers, mayo, and juice from the fresh-sliced meat, it was easily one of the messier sandwiches I've ever eaten. It certainly requires more than one napkin. At first I questioned the choice of a baguette as a bread choice, but in hindsight it's probably the only kind of bread that wouldn't completely disintegrate under the stress of the ingredients.

The curried egg salad was good, but didn't blow me away. It was pretty much your typical egg salad with a bit of curry powder mixed in. The curry flavor wasn't overwhelming, but it's a nice departure from plain 'ol egg salad. The chips and Diet Coke were chips and Diet Coke. Nothing to report there.

Verdict? Wicked-wich serves great sandwiches with some of the best meat in the city. The prices, at around $10.00, are about as high as I'd pay for a sandwich combo at a casual restaurant in Cincinnati. I will certainly be back due to the number of sandwiches on the menu that I had difficulty choosing between. If they can make boring chicken breast a star, I'd love to try their roast or corned beef. It won't be a regular place for me due to the location and crowdedness, but if I want a sandwich a step above most, I know where to go.

Lunch Review: Mayberry Foodstuffs

Usually I leave my verdict until the end, but for Mayberry Foodstuffs I will say this: it is a godsend. The tiny store packs a truckload of variety and convenience into a space smaller than most houses' master bedrooms.

(This is what the store's sign looks like through a dirty lens. Whoops.)

Mayberry Foodstuffs, the brainchild of Chef Josh of Mayberry and World Food Bar fame, opened late 2010 to provide downtowners an option for groceries and other goodies. This place is reeeeaaaalllly small, but what little square footage they have, they utilize masterfully. They somehow manage to pack fresh produce, bread goods basked by the staff, cheeses, spices, household items, meats, dry bulk goods, and my most purchased category of items: wine and really good craft beer. This list is not exhaustive by any means.

(Bulk olive oil and vinegar)

Mayberry Foodstuffs is convenient for my not because I live downtown, but because my bus stop from work to home happens to sit about 20 fee from their door. I can't even count the numbe rof times I've missed my bus because I went to grab a bottle of wine from a store that is the opposite direction from work as my bus stop. No longer!

(Produce)

(Dry bulk goods)

A number of the products they sell are locally produced, which is an added bonus. When I was there last, the had just started selling spices from Colonel De, which is housed in Findlay Market. It's always good to see local businesses playing nice with each other.

(More produce, dairy, meat, eggs, etc)

(Meats and cheeses)

(And my favorite part: an ample yet varied selection of good beer)

And that's not all. If you're looking for a meal without all the effort, they also have made to order sandwiches. They offer chicken, ham, and roast beef. I've had the ham before and wasn't in a turkey mood, so I tried one of the roast beef sandwiches today. The sandwich (plus obligatory pickle spear), a Diet Coke, and a decent sized bag of Grippo's set my back about eight bucks. Not shabby at all.



The sandwich was roastbeef on sourdough with a swipe of horseradish and was topped with lettuce, onions, and bleu cheese. Very good stuff. I'm sure I'll be back before long to grab one of the turkey sandwiches.

Mayberry Foodstuffs is undoubtedly one of the best additions to the CBD in a long, long time. Sure, you're probably never going to be able to do 100% of your grocery shopping there, but that's not why they exist. If you live downtown, though, and are short a cup of sugar, I know of a neighbor who would be much obliged to help you out.

Lunch Review! Silverglade's (8th Street)

If there is one word to describe Silverglade's, it has to be "solid". The deli/restaurant doesn't get wild and crazy with their offerings, but they serve the classics, and they serve them well. I have never been to the sister location at Findlay Market, but the location at 8th and Sycamore holds a special place in my heart as one of the first places I went out for lunch at after starting my job downtown. Out of the handful of times I've eaten here, I don't think I have been disappointed even once. That's certainly a lot less than I can say of some other places I've tried downtown.

Since it is located on 8th and Sycamore, it's a little off the beaten path for a lot of the downtown lunchers, which means that you can usually find a table without having to wait. That's A-OK with me.

The location is a large and open, with the deli taking up one quadrant of the space. Seating is located near the front, with a small wine selection and a cooler with soft drinks and beer in the back. The deli contains all of your various sides, cheeses and meats and they offer a espresso bar and various breakfast vittles in the morning. I've never tried the breakfast there, so I can't speak for it, but considering the quality of their lunch, I'm convinced it would be good.

(Breakfast goodies)

(Wine selection)

(Typical deli stuff)

They have a very large lunch menu, which includes soups, salads, and sandwiches (gourmet sandwiches and paninis). If you can think of a classic deli sandwich, odds are it is on their menu. One of the best parts about it being a combination deli/restaurant is that if nothing on the menu sounds appetizing to you (not likely), you have the option of custom-making your own sandwich with the available meat, cheeses, bread, and toppings. They are proud to serve Boar's Head meats, which is nice because you are pretty certain to be getting some quality meat on your sandwich.

Like I said earlier, I've never had a bad meal here, so I like to vary what I order each time I visit. Their menu is large enough that odds are you will have a tough time making a decision. They had a few new sandwiches when I visited, so I decided on a Cuban and my fiancee went with a Skilly Minnie, which is thin-sliced Boar's Head buffalo chicken breast with sprouts, tomato and cucumber on whole wheat. It looked really good. At Silverglade's you order at the counter, pay, grab your seat, and they'll call your name when your food is ready.

(Skinny Minnie)

(Cuban)

The Cuban wasn't particularly authentic, but it was tasty. It featured salami and thin-sliced pork loin layered alternately, topped with Swiss cheese, pickles, and a swipe of dijon mustard. All that was tucked in a home made ciabatta bun which had been pressed to give it a crunch and get everything inside of it nice and warm. Regardless of authenticity, it was very, very good. All the ingredients went together just right, taste and texture-wise. In addition, I got the sandwich as a combo, so I had my pick of sides. I went with a bag of pesto and parmesan kettle chips. Pretty good, but I'm more of a fan of some of the other chip flavors (the chipotle for instance). My fiancee always get the same sandwich there, so there were little surprises for her. Good as usual.

This last visit has done nothing to shake my opinion that Silverglade's serves some of the best sandwiches in downtown Cincinnati. I love sandwiches, so this is big to me. Every sandwich I've ordered here I would have no problem ordering again in the future if they didn't have a menu full of items that sound equally as appetizing. I suppose there is always next time, right?

Location, hours, and menu can all be found on their web site: http://silvergladesdeli.com/. Enjoy!

Lunch Review! Raya's Lebanese Restaurant

Oh boy was I hungry this morning. I knew that it was going to be a big lunch day when 10:00 rolled around and my stomach was making noises alternating between those made by tectonic movements and those made by packs of various furry, carnivorous beasts.

To my (and my stomach's) horror, before I could go to lunch I had to do the dance I seem to do every time I go out for lunch. Literally. Every. Time.

"Sushi?" "Too light."
"Mexican?" "Too heavy."
"A burger?" "Ditto."
"Salad?" "Boooooooooring."
"A sandwich?" "Yeah. Let's get a sandwich. It's not like you eat one every day during the rest of the week from your lunchbox."

This is one of the curses of working downtown. Pretty much any kind of food you could want is within walking distance and you (or at least I) become paralyzed with choice. With pretty much every cuisine eliminated from the running, I first decided to go to Cafe de Paris and eat in Piatt Park, but it was a bit too windy to sit outside and read while eating my lunch, so, in a stroke of genius, I decided to head to Raya's Lebanese Restaurant and have a gyro.

I had been to Raya's once before and apparently liked it enough for it to pop into my head on the verge of starvation. It is located on Court St., next to the other restaurants that are propped up by HamCo./Krogers employees. There were two food trucks out front when I walked by: Cafe de Wheels and a hotdog one I didn't catch the name of. I can always go for a Wheels Burger, but I decided that I had probably been eating too many burgers lately.

Because Raya's is not much to look at inside, I didn't take any pictures. It's small and it has tables and chairs. It could easily be a venue for any other cuisine in the world. Not a knock; just saying.

I ordered a gyro and a side of hummus and, to be healthy, I decided to forego the fries. Hell-bent on destroying my chance to not be a glutton at lunch, the cashier countered that fries were free with any wrap that day. Ok, so I didn't forego the fries. In fact, I ate every one of them.

(Raya's: Healthy unless you like fries too much)



The food was about as good as I remember it. Gyros are pretty tough to mess up, but on the other hand, tough to make stand out. It was solid. It didn't blow my mind or anything, but I don't think I've ever eaten one that did. The hummus was a little underseasoned. It probably could have used some garlic.

Surprisingly, the fries were really, really good. They were well-seasoned and very crispy. I never understand why Mediterranean places serve fries as the default side with a lot of sandwiches, particularly since most of the time they just seem like such a poor effort. Perhaps it's because they're serving Americans who can't go a few hours without eating something fried. Who knows. Regardless, these were good. Would I rather be able to sub in something healthier and a little more authentic? Of course, but I'll take what I can get.

Is Raya's great? Nope. It certainly reaches the threshold for good, though. My fiancee has had their vegetarian combo before, which has hummus, baba ghanouj, falafel, and taboulli. So it's not that there aren't healthier options. It's just that I didn't want to eat them. I'm sure I'll be back. Good and cheap (<$10 for all of the above plus a Diet Coke) is an ok combo in my book.

Lunch Review! Tom + Chee

(Store front on Court Street)

Grilled cheese is one of those foods that I just never seem to eat nowadays. It's not that I don't like them; in fact, bread and cheese are two of my favorite foods. It's just, unlike other folks the idea of making it just never pops into my head. I'm not sure if it's the simplicity of it or what, but I might have two or three of them a year.



Struggling mightily with the lunch choices downtown as usual, it struck me that I could go for something hearty. What is better on a cold day than a grilled cheese and some soup? With that in mind, I walked over to the Tom + Chee Court Street location to grab myself some of both.

(Part of the main chalkboard menu)

Tom + Chee is an order at the counter, have your name hollered, and sit to eat (or take it out, like I did) type restaurant. There is a pretty good amount of seating in their space, but it looks like only a few tables for large groups. There were a few people in front of me in line so I perused the nemu and settled on the turkey pesto grilled cheese and a cup of chili.

(Hard at Work)

(Adorable 'Super Fancy Tip Jar')

I ordered, paid, and picked up my food in less than five minutes. Saw this poster on the way out. I'm not sure if I could take one down, but it sure does sound interesting:



I hustled back to the office so the food didn't get cold and so I could fill my starving belly. I unwrapped the perfectly toasted sandwich and took a bite of one of the best sandwiches I've had since I've moved here. Thick, buttery toasted sourdough is perhaps the best type of bread for a grilled cheese sandwhich, and they nailed it. To my delight, the turkey was actual pieces of turkey, not the sliced turkey lunchmeat which drives me crazy in sandwiches like this one. They used just the right amount of pesto: flavorful, but not overwhelming. Finally, there was enough mozzarella cheese to hold everything together and counteract the crunch of the bread, but not so much that it made a sloppy mess.



The chili was great, too. It was more liquid than I'm used to eating, but they really nailed the flavor. It contained less beans and more meat (which is ok in my book), onions, small chunks of tomato, and green peppers. It had a heat presence, but wasn't too spicy. Overall, very well done.

Tom + Chee is flat out awesome. It drives me crazy that I haven't been here since they opened the store front, but I guess better late than never, right? I will definitely be back. There were five or six other things on their menu that I decided I must try.

The Mercantile Library: An Urban Oasis

On a recommendation, I went over to the Mercantile Library a couple of weeks ago. Located on the 11th floor of the Mercantile Building at 414 Walnut Street, this place is literally a fortress of solitude. I fell in love with it immediately and signed up for a annual membership ($55 for individuals; $90 family).

Walking in, the feeling you get is first 'class' and then 'scholarly'. They cram a great deal of very beautiful, ornate decoration into a relatively small space. I spent a few hours here last Saturday reading and the word of the day was 'silence'. With the librarian, a few other patrons, and myself in the library, you could literally have heard a pin drop. You would never, ever guess that you were a stone's throw from Fountain Square. In fact, you would probably never guess that you were in the city. The library is not stuffy, however. They encourage eating your lunch there and on Saturday, I did. I also did a bit of exploring and poked around a bit.

They had some amazing, very old busts of some famous folks. Below are only a few of what they had on display.

 (George Washington)

 (Charles Dickens)

 (Abraham Lincoln)

(Bell from the U.S.S Cincinnati)

The Mercantile library also has a full-service collection which is quite large for the square footage it takes up. Let's just say they use their space quite efficiently.

(Fiction lower, nonfiction upper)

(Wasn't entirely sure what these materials were)

(Unique aisle markers)

(Books!)

Overall, this place is awesome. I can see myself spending a great deal of time here in the future. The atmosphere is amazing for reading and it can be a nice reprieve from what is happening eleven floors below. I would recommend everyone to go at least give it a look, even if you aren't interested in a membership. It is one of the truly unique places in Cincinnati and I am so happy I was led that direction.

More information can be found at:

http://www.mercantilelibrary.com/

Rockin' out at the Mainstay

Headed to Mainstay last night to see a friend's band play. I had never been to there before, but it was actually a pretty decent time. They have a very good, reasonably-priced beer selection. Not just for a concert venue, but for a normal bar. You can also get bombers of your favorite cheap beer if you are so inclined (I'm not). Molly Wellmann was working the bar last night, which was a pleasant surprise. There was a bit of strangeness in the crowd, though, because there was a bike convention going on. Not rowdy, however, which was pretty surprising.

 Mad Anthony opened for Banderas, both of which put on a great show. I've seen both a handful of times. They always seem to bring the volume and energy. Forgive me for the pictures; phone cameras work like garbage in dark bars.